Psycho Therapy in Japan : Morita Therapy

About Psycho Therapy in Japan

It was created by Dr Shoma Morita, the founding professor of the Department of Psychiatry at Jikei University School of Medicine in Japan around 1920.

It is very unique in its understanding of the mechanism of anxiety and its treat methods.

Tree major characteristics of Morita Therapy opinions:

1) he sees anxiety as one of the natural feelings that every human has.

2) People become anxious because they desire to perform well and feel afraid of failing and making mistakes.

In Morita Therapy, anxiety and people's desires to live good lives are considered as two sides of the same coin - they are both natural feelings for human beings.

By understanding this mechanism, patients can get out of this vicious circle between attention and intensified feelings.

3) Consequently, people get better when they stop trying to eliminate anxiety and fears rooted in their symptoms and when they accept these feelings as their natural feelings.

With Morita Therapy, patients lean to accept anxiety as it is (Japanese "Arugamama"), capitalize on their characteristics and potentials, and actualize their desires to live good personal and social lives.

How can they leave the vicious circle?

Morita thinks people have desires to "live a good life", so they worry and become anxious; anxiety is a reflection of our desires for good lives.

By accepting anxiety as it is, they can leave behind their mind set that is fixated on their symptoms and start using their energy and resources in order to work out their desire more effectively and realistically.

What is Morita Therapy Inpatient treatment like?

First Stage: Isolation and Bed-Rest Stage

The patients, in principle, spend a week in isolation.

While they rest for a week, many thoughts and feelings may come up in their minds, but they are advised not to act on eliminating them and to take them as they are

Second Stage: Light Occupational Work Stage

The patients go out of their rooms into the fresh air after First Stage.

They spend most of their time making observations on the environment and being involved in light individual work (such as wood-carving and ceramic art) for five days.

They are advised to do what they need to do without being swept away by their moods and symptoms.

Third Stage: Intensive Occupational Work Stage

The patients work and cooperate with other members of the inpatient unit in doing chores and taking care of animals, plants, and flowers.

Every month they also have events such as excursions, sports, and parties.

Patients are the ones who do the planning and take leadership of these events, and in doing so, they get opportunities to learn to cooperate with others and take leadership roles.

In Third Stage, it is important to get actively involved in what they need to do in their daily activities and chores no matter how they are bothered by their anxiety and symptoms.

By concentrating on what they are doing., they can leave their fixations on their uncomfortable feelings and symptoms, and realize their desires to live good lives that they have in their inner selves in more constructive and realistic ways.

Fourth Stage: Preparation for Going Back to their own Daily Life

The patients take a week to a few weeks for preparation to get back to their society.

Doing the Fourth Stage, they can go home, spend a day to a few days at home, visit their work and make necessary arrangements for life if needed.

They can try to do how they can manage the anxiety and worries they had prior to starting the inpatient treatment.

This process enables them to return to their own living environments as smoothly and adaptively as possible.

Morita Therapy is good for:

1) Social Anxiety Disorder

2) Panic Disorder

3) Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

4) Somatoform Disorder

5) Generalized Anxiety Disorder

6) Chronic Depression

Toward

Those who have a strong desire to improve themselves

Those with neurotic characteristics such as being introverted, hypersensitive, perfectionistic, and hating to lose